Personally, I Would’ve Called The Bank

I upgraded my bank account, which meant I needed a new debit card. I waited a few days for it to arrive, and once I opened it, I stared at it for a few seconds in shock.

The three-digit code on the back of the card was 000.

I thought they had somehow given me a fake card, but it worked when I made a purchase at a store, so I figured I would keep it for a bit.

A few weeks later, I was getting ready to move when I saw a set of pots and pans I wanted to purchase on a major retailer’s website. I added it to my cart and put in my information. Then, I received an error message: “Please enter a valid CVV.”

It turns out their system was not recognizing 000 as a valid code, so I decided to call customer service and place the order over the phone. I reached a representative and she found the set I wanted. Then, I gave her my information.

Representative: “What is the CVV?”

Me: “000.”

I heard her typing, and then she paused for a minute.

Representative: “I’m sorry, but that is not a valid code. Please tell me the three digits on the back of the card.” 

Me: “I did. It’s 000.”

Representative: “I’m sorry, but that is impossible. Please read the numbers carefully.”

Me: “I am. It’s 000. I’ve used this card in stores before, so I know it works.”

Representative: “I don’t know what to tell you. It is showing in my system that this is not a valid number. You can try going to the store, but it probably won’t work there, either.”

I finished my call with the representative and went to their store. The card worked. 

Unfortunately, I lost my wallet a couple of months later, so I had to get a new card, and it has a real CVV number now. It’s probably for the best. That card would’ve gotten hacked eventually, anyway.